


Days without Shadow

by dancibayo



Series: All was Golden when the Day met the Night [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, ShikaNaru_Weekend_2020, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25791283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancibayo/pseuds/dancibayo
Summary: He always wondered if his soulmate would hate him as much as everyone else did.
Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: All was Golden when the Day met the Night [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019752
Comments: 54
Kudos: 582
Collections: ShikaNaru Weekend 2020





	Days without Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Short one shot for day 2 ShikaNaru Weekend 2020, prompt is Soulmate AU.

When Naruto was younger, much younger than his current seven years, he always wondered if his soulmate would hate him as much as everyone else did. He knew he had a soulmate, even if he couldn't read the words that were printed on his inner arm. They were black, with bright shiny gold splotches scattered randomly throughout. 

Today Naruto was being moved to a different class. He didn't know why, and he didn't care, but he hoped that this time he would be able to make friends. So he planned to arrive early. He had spent the night before making sure his clothes were clean and his supplies packed neatly into the bag he had scavenged from a dumpster. And all his preparations paid off, because he was the first to arrive to class. He sat down at the very back left corner so he could keep an eye on everyone and the door. If they decided to mess with him, he could jump out the window. 

Naruto sat there, fiddling his thumbs when he snapped his head up upon hearing the door slide open. In walked a chubby boy snacking on onigiri followed by a dark haired boy who was yawning wildly. They trudged up the steps to the very last row where Naruto was sitting. The blonde began to sweat nervously, but nothing happened as the chubby boy led the tired boy to the seat next to Naruto before sitting in the aisle seat next to him. As soon as the tired boy sat down, he laid his head down on the desk using his arms as a pillow. Naruto looked at them from the corner of his eye, and when they didn't do anything, he relaxed minutely. 

After a while of watching the chubby boy eat what seemed like a million onigiri, Naruto's stomach let out a ferocious roar. The blonde could feel his face heating up, and tried his best to ignore his grumbling stomach. He had skipped breakfast so he could make it to class early, and was regretting it now. After a few minutes and a few more growls, he heard the tired boy next to him sigh dramatically. Naruto flinched, scared that he had already ruined his chance of making friends in this new class, when an arm was thrust in front of his face, an onigiri held in hand. But Naruto completely ignored that. Even though he was hungry, he saw on the forearm the same soulmark that was on his own. He would recognize it immediately, because even if he couldn't read it, he knew exactly what it looked like, each black line and every golden splotch.

"Oi, are you listening? Quit being so troublesome and take it!" Naruto's soulmate grouched at him. Naruto slowly reached forward, but instead of grabbing the rice ball, he gently touched the matching soulmark on the other boy's arm. The boy stiffened but before he could do anything, a golden light surrounded the two boys. Naruto finally chanced a glance at the other after the light that signified when soulmates touched for the first time died out. 

The boy didn't look so tired anymore. In fact, he looked rather alert; sharp brown eyes roving over the blonde, stopping at the soulmark on Naruto's arm. 

"So you're my soulmate, huh?" The boy finally said. He then extended his hand to Naruto. Gobsmacked, he took the offered hand. He didn't think anyone would ever want to hold hands with him. 

"My name is Nara Shikamaru." The newly named Shikamaru told him. "What's yours?"

Naruto gulped before finally looking up from their joined hands. He scrunched up his face to hide the fact that he was almost about to cry before proclaiming: "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm gonna become Hokage one day, dattebayo!" 

He waits with eyes closed for the hate to come, and flinches when Shikamaru erupts with a much bigger sigh than earlier. But before Naruto can even attempt to pull away, he hears the other boy drawl: "I guess I will have to start actually putting in effort, man what a drag!" But Naruto can feel Shikamaru gently squeeze his hand, and when he finally braves opening his eyes, he sees both boys gently smiling at him. Naruto relaxes again, and Shikamaru offers him the onigiri from earlier. The blonde scarfs it down, and then pats his stomach. He's still a little hungry, but he needs to know something first. 

"Hey Shika, do you know how to read?" He asks the boy who has his head resting on his arms again, but with his head turned towards Naruto.

"Yeah, I can. Why?" Shikamaru asks.

"I wanna know what our soulmark says, dattebayo!" Naruto says excitedly. He sees Shikamaru smile softly again before he answers.

"Days without shadow, are days without sun."

**Author's Note:**

> Soulmark quote from "Shadows" by Amos Russel Wells


End file.
